


The Red Knight and the Monk

by wth_am_i_writing



Category: VIXX
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Character Death, Fantasy, M/M, Magic, POV Third Person, Smut, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-09-30 01:46:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17214698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wth_am_i_writing/pseuds/wth_am_i_writing
Summary: Ravi was good with words and the sword. Leo was going to save the world. Together with the rest of VIXX, they aim to take out the Dark Lord.





	The Red Knight and the Monk

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr on December 13, 2014.
> 
> Original Author’s Note: So this fic is dedicated to Alex ( getyourvixxfixx) for her birthday (it’s soooo late T^T). She said I could write anything I wanted for the fic, but I eventually pulled “smut and angst” and “Wontaek” from her and this is what resulted. I hope she likes it! Honestly, this isn’t my best work, and I feel given the nature of the plot, it should be part of a large work, maybe even a video game plot line. Writing this, I kept wanting to stop to play video games, honestly. Anyway, I hope you enjoy Alex!  
> In order to give the magic in the fic an added level richness, I decided to use a Conlang I’m creating for the magic. I wanted the magic in this fic to be based around words, but I didn’t want to go the same route I went for the spells in Descent Series, so I went with a Conlang. The meanings of most of the magic are implied in the text, but [here is a translation of all the terms used–be warned, there are spoilers in the translations](http://wth-am-i-writing.tumblr.com/private/105130955276/tumblr_ngjrec29F21t3i9gb)

Ravi focused his energy between his hands, muttering a spell. The growl of the beast that was chasing them filled the dark passageway as it got nearer, sending a shiver down Ravi’s back. Leo shifted beside him, feet scraping on the rock as he turned to face the direction of the beast, his nerves doing nothing to help Ravi’s concentration. He took a deep breath in through his nose and refocused, trying his best to concentrate. Suddenly there was a spark of warmth between his hands and the passage was flooded with a dim light as a small orb formed between his hands. Just as Ravi was about to rejoice that the light spell had actually worked, Leo grabbed his arm and pulled.

“It’s here,” was the only warning Ravi got before he was dragged forward down the tunnel, a roar meeting their backs. Ravi shrugged out of Leo’s grasp and they both bolted down the passageway at top speed.

“If there hasn’t been any collapses, there should be an open room ahead where multiple passages meet,” Ravi panted, starting to fall behind Leo slightly.

“Shut up and _run_ ,” Leo growled, pushing ahead. Ravi clenched his jaw shut, the gallop of the beast behind them more of an incentive to stay quiet. They came to a fork in the path Ravi grabbed Leo’s arm, yanking him down the left path. From there is was a straightaway and a few hundred meters to the open room. They tumbled into the open room, the darkness oppressing, the space large enough that Ravi’s light orb didn’t reach any walls and their footsteps echoed. They ran several more meters before coming to a still, Leo’s feet scraping on the ground as he spun around and drew his weapon.

“ _Methiked!_ ” Ravi shouted, holding the small light orb he’d been cradling in his hands up into to air. The orb got brighter but it barely lit the room more than it had before. Frustrated, Ravi refocused his energy back to his hands and shouted,  “ _Lapsanges methik noo chelyeh!”_ The orb tripled in size and grew blindingly bright. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tossed the orb up into the air and reached for his sword. The scrape of the metal blade against his sheath as he drew his sword was drowned out by the sound of beast crying out in pain. Ravi snapped his eyes open, turning towards the fight that was already in progress, spots still littering his vision from the orb.

Leo had crouched into a low defensive position, his bladed-polearm gripped tight in his left hand. The beast, a nasty white wolf-like creature the size of a large horse, had retreated back, a bleeding wound on its back. The beast shifted and Leo prepared to defend. When the beast lurched forward, Leo met it halfway, blocking its paw with his pole. He shifted his weight to one leg and kicked the beast back before retreating several steps and retaking his defensive pose. Ravi lifted his left hand to his forehead and concentrated gathering his magical energy, the size of the beast making fighting it with Ravi’s weapon impractical. Leo’s woldo polearm was much more suited for slaying beasts that size, making it better for Ravi to enhance Leo’s fighting skill than to join in himself. Snapping his attention to Leo, he began to cast.

“Leo! _Gyeizood’ed noo chelyeh! Jeeled noo chelyeh!_ ” he called, focusing his energy on making Leo faster and stronger. Leo’s aura flickered green and he grunted his thanks at the enhancements. Leo charged the beast, movements twice as fast as they were before. As soon as he was within striking distance, he swung, slicing clean through the chest of the beast before it had a chance to move out of the way. The beast fell to the ground, dead, releasing a horrible death cry. Leo waited defensively for a few moments before straightening his posture.

“Next one’s yours,” he said to Ravi, turning and putting his weapon back on his back. He closed the distance between them and reached up to rub Ravi’s head, a slight smirk on his lips. He knew how much rubbing Ravi’s head annoyed him–people just couldn’t leave it alone since he’d had to cut it short after Ken accidently set it on fire–but did it anyway, seeming to get pleasure out of ruffling Ravi’s feathers.

“You know you’re better suited to fighting those types of monsters,” Ravi whined, knocking Leo’s hand away and stepping back. Leo’s smirk grew at the reaction. Ravi quickly turned away, fighting the blush that was rising on his cheeks. Now was _not_ the time or place to get flustered over the warrior monk.

“You could have blown it up with a fireball,” Leo teased, turning to look back at the fallen beast.

“I’m not like Ken. Besides, it was resistant to fire magic, and you know I only know basic elemental spells,” Ravi sighed, looking around the room to determine which path to take.

“You’re getting better,” Leo complimented, clapping Ravi on the shoulder. This time Ravi couldn’t help but flush. He bowed his head as he sheathed his sword, fighting the blush down and failing. He cleared his throat as he looked up, hoping that Leo wouldn’t notice the tint of his cheeks.

“The exit to the tunnels is this way,” Ravi said, pointing towards the passageway to their left. As he started moving forward, Leo grabbed his arm and held him in place. “What?” Ravi asked, confused. Leo simply nodded towards the ceiling with an amused expression. Ravi looked up, instantly regretting it as he was blinded by his light orb. He squeezed his eyes shut, flinching in pain as Leo snorted at him. He just _had_ to tell it to be as bright as the sun, didn’t he? Still, he’d almost forgotten it, which would have been a complete waste of his energy. Leo released his arm and stepped back as Ravi tried to blink his vision back.

“ _Vaovim methik noo chelyeh!_ ” Ravi called out, concentrating on decreasing the orb’s brightness and lifting his hands into the air. The room dimmed considerably. “ _Chei nei blaiyoh!_ ” The warmth of the light filled his palms after a few seconds and Ravi lowered his hands. He brought the light in close to his chest then looked over to Leo. “We shouldn’t have left the light stone with N.”

“He can’t use magic like you can,” Leo defended the decision, moving towards the passageway that Ravi had pointed out moments earlier.

“Yeah, well, Ken and Hongbin are with him,” Ravi pointed out, starting to follow Leo.

“We don’t know that,” Leo said, voice quiet, serious. Ravi swallowed, remembering just how grave the situation they were in was. They’d entered the tunnels to avoid the harpy infested forest above ground on their way to Hongbin’s master’s home and had been ambushed by a pack of the Dark Lord’s beasts. The attack had forced them down different routes, and Ravi hadn’t gotten a good look at who had been shoved down which passage. As long as no one was alone, everything would be ok.

“We’ll meet up soon. They can handle themselves,” Ravi assured. “We all know our goal was to get to Rockensgrove so Hongbin could get better weapons and armor, so we’ll just head there from wherever we get out.” It was useless to try to backtrack and meet up inside the tunnels, after all–Ravi and Leo had run at least eight kilometers in the mazework of tunnels before they’d found a suitable place to properly fight the beast. Even though Ravi  didn’t have the physical map, he could remember it perfectly and knew whereabouts they’d come out of the tunnels (a blessing to Leo, who could remember the map but was directionally challenged in enclosed spaces). It was only another kilometer until the exit. Once out, they could figure out the best course of action.

-.-.-.-.-

Ravi and Leo pushed the heavy doors to the tunnels open, evening light and fresh air meeting them on the surface. A quick survey of the area revealed that they were at the edge of the forest and the protective wall of a town was only a few kilometers away up a rocky hill. Leo closed the doors behind them before turning to Ravi.

“We won’t make it by dark,” Leo observed. “It’s at least four hours travel from here.”

“ _Apsnayeh,”_ Ravi dismissed the light orb, returning his hands to his side as it burst and dissipated. There was no point in keeping it. It was too dangerous to travel at night in this part of the continent. The dead roved the fields just beyond the woods after dark, tormented souls of soldiers that died in a major battle against the Dark Lord’s General over a thousand years ago. A school of Paladins had been founded in the region to protect the towns. It was general knowledge all over the continent, but Hongbin had explained the situation in greater detail to the party–this was his homeland after all, and he had experience fighting off the fallen.

“Then we’ll go to the town and get some food and rest. We can set out at first light tomorrow,” Ravi suggested. Leo hummed in agreement and Ravi turned to follow the path to the town. After a few steps, Ravi realized that Leo wasn’t following him. He turned to look back at the monk. Leo had dropped to his knees and bowed his head, hands solidly on the ground. He began chanting, the syllables exotic and beautiful to Ravi’s ears. Whatever spell Leo was casting, it settled Ravi’s nerves at being separated from the others a little. When Leo was done, he came back to standing and turned to Ravi.

“A blessing on the others that we meet safely,” Leo explained shortly before walking past Ravi towards the town.

“ _Weieelthuh wuh K’oom,”_ Ravi muttered to himself. The Language of Light, a magic language spoken of in legends and practiced by only a few schools of Paladins and Monks. Hearing it always left Ravi weak at it’s beauty. He’d always wanted to learn it. “It’s been a while since I last heard you use it,” Ravi said, turning on his heel and catching up to Leo. “You should teach me some basic spells sometime.” Leo shook his head.

“Master your other six disciplines of fighting first, Red Knight,” Leo refused. Ravi sighed. Leo had a point. Ravi had novice abilities in enhancement spells, healing spells and elemental spells, and intermediate skills in swordsmanship and hand to hand combat, but was a master of none. He was well read and versatile, but not very strong, making him wonder sometimes if he wasn’t just as much of a burden on the party as clumsy Ken (who’s spells often backfired) or the young and inexperienced Hyuk (who had only a year of experience with the bow before he joined them and no knowledge of magic at all). He needed to better himself in what he already knew before taking on anything more.

“Is that a promise?” Ravi asked, looking at Leo instead of the path, eyes lingering a bit too long on Leo’s lips as his tongue darted out in thought.

“Mm,” Leo hummed. “But I’m a strict teacher.” Ravi snapped his attention back to the road, the words triggering inappropriate thoughts. He fought down a blush, doing a better job this time around. It was either fortune or bad luck that he’d ended up thrown in the same tunnel as the person he’d fallen in love with, and he liked to think it was the former.

-.-.-.-.-

The town was uncreatively called Woodsedge at Tienbing Pass and had a population of a few thousand if they had to guess by the sprawl of the town. They’d gone to a medicinal shop to stock up on curing items for any ailments common to the region then went to the first tavern they could find to get dinner. They’d gone over what they could remember of the maps while eating and determined that the others would get to Rockensgrove before them or up to two days _after_ if they were unfortunately pushed back in the direction they’d come from.

After sating their hunger, they started looking for an inn. There were two in the town, but they quickly discovered that they were dangerously low on funds and couldn’t afford staying at _either_ establishment. At the second, cheaper establishment, they’d told the innkeeper–a middle aged woman who looked like she’d lost her husband–to wait while they discussed what to do.

“Ken would really come in handy about now,” Ravi cursed, voice barely a whisper so only Leo could hear him. Leo gave him a sharp stare at the suggestion. In addition to being a talented (but clumsy) fire mage, Ken was also a talented pick-pocket and sweet-talker. Whenever the party ended up short on cash, Ken always managed to obtain the needed sum in minutes or was able to sweet talk the owners of taverns and inns into forgoing payment in exchange for _other_ services, usually sexual but sometimes less risque. It had always ruffled Leo and Hongbin’s feathers when Ken did those things though, hence Leo’s pointed stare of disapproval.

“We can sleep outside. Not like it won’t be the first time,” Ravi suggested, but Leo maintained his sharp stare. Ravi squirmed under his gaze, disliking the feeling of disapproval it held.

“It’s safer inside. There’s strong wards on the building,” Leo argued. Ravi sighed, reaching up to rub the top of his head.

“Then we’ll have to convince her to let us to stay without payment.”

“I can re-enforce the wards–”

“I’ll talk to her,” Ravi cut him off, figuring that offer would fall flat. Leo’s Language of Light magic was very different from whatever the Paladins in the area were using–he knew as much from how different the spells Hongbin and Leo used were. As gifted as Leo was in his field of magic, his spells probably wouldn’t harmonize with the wards on the building without considerable time and effort. Leo’s expression turned concerned and he took Ravi’s arm, eyes telling Ravi that he didn’t like what he was implying. Ravi gave him a reassuring smile before slipping off to talk to the innkeeper.

She rejected Leo’s offer, just as Ravi had suspected, then proceeded to refuse Ravi’s other offers to provide help around the inn. How did Ken manage to do this? After several minutes of negotiation, she agreed to wave the fee for the room in exchange for an hour with Ravi. Key in hand, he returned to Leo’s side.

“Second floor, third door on the right,” he explained as he folded Leo’s hand closed around the key. “I’ll be up in a couple of hours. The bath is right there,” he continued, motioning to the door to the right of the lobby desk. Leo gave him a concerned look, but Ravi just pushed him towards the stairs.

Ravi didn’t actually mind bartering sex for a bed at all. He’d done more questionable things to survive after his kingdom had been almost completely destroyed by the Dark Lord’s army when he was a young teenager–he’d gone from an esteemed squire to a masterless orphan in the span of two days and surviving required abandoning his pride. But Leo _didn’t_ feel comfortable with such things, and that made Ravi nervous. It would be a hard hit if Leo thought less of him for doing this–the situation was already awkward enough given his feelings for Leo.

-.-.-.-.-

Ravi opened the door as quietly as possible, afraid he’d wake Leo, but the monk was sitting upright, meditating on the large king-sized bed that took up most of the space in the room. It was odd not seeing the room crammed with people. With six people in their party, they usually fought for who got to sleep on the bed. Four or five of them would squeeze on the bed, depending on the size, and the unlucky ones would take a pillow and blanket to sleep on the floor. But there was no wrestling over the bed, no N to kick everyone off until he’d secured his spot in the middle, no Hyuk to launch stealth attacks and shove people over the edge. Instead, it was just calm–the kind of calm only Leo could bring to a room and it felt awkward to disturb it. The door clicked closed behind Ravi and he engaged the lock before moving further into the room.

“I’m sorry,” Leo said, opening his eyes. Ravi froze under Leo’s gaze, stomach churning. That wasn’t the reaction he was expecting. “What you did…”

“It’s ok. It honestly wasn’t a big deal,” Ravi brushed it off. It was a bit of a lie–he hadn’t particularly enjoyed the act, but he’d found release by imagining Leo. He stepped further into the room, tossing his gear into a corner and stripping off the clothes he’d half heartedly put back on after his bath, down to his undergarments like Leo was.

“You should have refused if it came down to that,” Leo insisted. Ravi sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed and stroking his hair.

“The alternative would have been to sleep outside and that wouldn’t have been restful,” Ravi rebuttled. Leo stayed quiet, the silence quickly becoming uncomfortable. Ravi turned to face Leo, swallowing. “We both needed a full night of sleep. Staying outside would have left us on edge. It wouldn’t do if the Chosen One got unduly killed because he was exhausted.”

“I know,” Leo sighed in frustration, brows knitting together in annoyance and fingers clenching the bed covers.

“You know I’d do anything for you, right?” Ravi admitted, cheeks starting to flush.

“You shouldn’t waste your life on me,” Leo mumbled.

“You and Hongbin are gonna defeat the Dark Lord. I wanna be there to celebrate with you,” Ravi insisted. Leo slammed his fist on the bed. Ravi flinched, looking away from Leo. Leo didn’t like it when he was reminded that he was the “Chosen One” of the Badrasa Monks of the northern mountains, that he was destined to fight the Dark Lord and win. It was obviously a great weight on his shoulders, a burden he didn’t want but would carry out anyway. “Even if you weren’t the Chosen One, I’d still do anything for you.”

The confession felt especially raw to Ravi. It was the closest he’d ever come to admitting his feelings out loud. They’d spent a year traveling together as six and a little over two together with N. There’d been a lot of time for these feelings to develop and fester, but not a chance to act on them–and maybe he didn’t really want to act on them at all. Leo was a holy warrior of light, destined by legend to defeat the Dark Lord, and Ravi was just support, someone to help get Leo to his final battle. Acting on his feelings was dangerous. If Leo didn’t like him back? If his presence became distracting and disturbed the group’s harmony? He’d rather keep his mouth shut and stay by Leo’s side.

“We’d never have met if I wasn’t,” Leo murmured, tone sad and still a little frustrated.

“I hope we would have anyway,” Ravi confessed, turning to look back at Leo. Ravi met Leo’s sharp gaze, something in his stomach churning at the rawness in his eyes’ depths. Before, there had always been the six of them. Personal time was rare, but for most of them, personal time was one of the last things they were worried about getting. In the grand scheme of things, their quest to reach and defeat the Dark Lord was more important than acting on any carnal desires or expressing any feeling that developed between each other as anything more than brotherly. But now, in that moment, alone with the man he’d fallen in love with, Leo’s guard down and his eyes raw, Ravi felt overwhelmingly tempted to act on his feelings.

He swallowed, pushing down his feelings. Now wasn’t the time to mess everything up. They’d come so far, but there was still a long road ahead of them. This was just a test of his control.

“You’re a great friend and you’ve taught me a lot about fighting,” Ravi continued after a painfully long pause. Something in Leo’s eyes glinted and Ravi couldn’t bring himself to hold his gaze anymore for the flush that was rising on his cheeks. No sooner had he looked away did the bed creak and firm hands grip his shoulders. Leo forced him to look back and when their eyes met, Ravi’s mind sputtered to a stop. It felt like Leo’s stare was piercing right to his soul.

“Liar,” Leo accused, lips crashing against Ravi’s before he could even register the word. Ravi froze, breath catching in his shock. Had he fallen under a hallucination spell? Leo exhaled when he pulled back, breath hot on Ravi’s lips. “That’s not why you hope we’d meet. You love me.”

“You knew?” Ravi asked, the words more wisps of air than sounds.

“You’re cute when you blush,” Leo answered, the smirk on his lips audible. Ravi floundered for a bit, trying to form words and failing. When Leo started to pull away, whatever restraint Ravi had snapped and he threw caution to the wind. He crashed his lips into Leo’s, throwing his arms around his neck.

The momentum sent them crashing down onto the bed. The kiss deepened, Leo opening his mouth and willingly let Ravi in. Trying to settle into a comfortable position without breaking away completely, Ravi worked his way between Leo’s thighs, his breath hitching when Leo snaked his arms around his back and yanked him back down so he was pressed against him. Leo sucked Ravi’s bottom into his mouth, nipping at it slightly and pulling a moan from Ravi. Feeling like his head was spinning, Ravi broke away and buried his face in the bedding beside Leo’s head.

“Is this really happening?” he asked, gripping Leo’s shoulders tighter.

“Mmm,” Leo hummed in response, one of his hands starting to stroke up and down Ravi’s back.

“This–doing this, is it really ok?” Ravi asked, voice trembling, suddenly overcome with uncertainty.

“Probably not,” Leo answered, tone neutral, relaxed.

“Should we stop? I mean, before we go so far that we can’t pretend this never happened.”

“Don’ wanna,” Leo answered, the pouty tone of his words sending dangerous shockwaves through Ravi’s body. Ravi pushed up so he could look Leo in the eyes.

“But–”

“It was love at first sight,” Leo murmured, causing the excuse Ravi was about to make to die in his throat. Leo brought his right hand around to stroke the protective tattoo along Ravi’s collarbone, eyes dropping to look at the foreign script. “I shouldn’t have these feelings, but I’m… envious.” He looked back into Ravi’s eyes, the rawness catching Ravi off guard again. None of this felt real.

“E-envious of?” Ravi stuttered.

“The innkeeper.” The answer was simple but it caused Ravi’s nether regions to twitch and his mouth to flap.

“Fuck,” Ravi finally managed, dropping back down and burying his head in the bed sheets. “A-are you even allowed to-to–”

“There’re rules.”

“Then you can’t.”

“I did it with some of the other monks when I was a boy.” Ravi pushed himself up so he could make sure he heard correctly. “And when I defeat the Dark Lord, I’m expected to go home and get married. I’d rather spend that time with you.” Ravi swallowed, throat suddenly dry and arms weak.

“That sounds nice,” Ravi whispered, mind spinning. “Are you sure I’m not dreaming?” Leo reached up and twisted Ravi’s nipple. The pain caused Ravi to hiss but it wasn’t unpleasant. “Definitely not dreaming.” Leo rubbed the abused nipple, as if trying to sooth the pain, then brought his hand flat against Ravi’s chest and caressed up to his neck. With one firm tug, their lips met again, Leo taking the lead.

Ravi let his hands roam and Leo returned the action, each carefully mapping out the other’s body. The curve of Leo’s ear, the bump of his Adam’s apple and tension in the tendons on his neck, the firmness of his pecs, the shape of his abs, the lines of his ribs, the jut of his hip bone–all places Ravi had seen but never touched. Leo’s hands roved up to Ravi’s shoulders before trailing down his arms and lingering where the protective tattoo just above Ravi’s elbow was.

His hands jumped back to Ravi’s back where he traced out the lines of his muscles and the dip of his back. When Leo worked down to Ravi’s ass, he squeezed, pulling their hips tight together. A bass moan tumbled past Ravi’s lips when their cocks ground together, the unexpectedness of it making it too much. He broke the kiss, pressing his lips to Leo’s jaw and trailing down his neck, sternum, to his belly button then lower still. He kissed Leo through his undershorts before peeling them back, Leo shifting so Ravi could strip them off completely.

After stripping off his own shorts, Ravi leaned back down, kissing the shaft of Leo’s cock and lightly sucking on the skin. Emboldened by a pleased sigh, Ravi kissed up to the head, where he teased Leo with tender kisses and flicks of his tongue. It wasn’t until Leo whined softly that Ravi took mercy on him and took the tip into his mouth. He swirled his tongue around the tip, dipping into the slit before he started sucking. He pulled away, releasing Leo’s cock with a pop. Leo whined again at the loss of contact, but Ravi ignored him in favor of sliding two of his fingers into his mouth. He coated them well before sliding the fingers out, reaching behind himself, and pressing his middle into himself.

Taking Leo back in his mouth, he began to work himself open, movements slow but tentative. As Ravi settled into a rhythm, Leo’s left hand found his head, burying into the fuzz and forcing Ravi to take him down his throat. Leo loosened his grip when Ravi gagged, but pressed him back down before Ravi could pull completely away. Ravi squirmed, attempting to fight his reflexes and relax his throat. He wanted it to be good for Leo, knew he could do it. Leo let him pull back to catch his breath, but it wasn’t long until Leo was back in his mouth, pressed down his throat. This repeated a few more times before Leo curled his fingers into the fuzz on Ravi’s hair and let Ravi resume doing as he pleased.

Pulling back to catch his breath, Ravi pressed a second finger in, moaning at the stretch. Leo tugged on Ravi’s head slightly, pulling it back so he could see Ravi’s face as he propped himself up on his free arm. Ravi whimpered, Leo’s sharp, hungry gaze and the feeling of his own fingers in his ass making his cock twitch in anticipation. He ignored his cock, giving Leo a few pumps, lips falling open as Leo’s tongue darted out to lick the corner of his own mouth. Ravi swallowed, pressing a third finger in all too soon and lowering back down. He took Leo back into his mouth easily, this time focusing on coating Leo thoroughly with spit and teasing breathy moans from Leo’s lips. Leo shifted his hand to where Ravi’s hair was longest, gripping tighter, tugging the best he could at the short strands.

“Fucking Ken,” Leo cursed, the words coming out as a breathy moan. Ravi pulled away, spit stringing to the tip of Leo’s cock.

“Ken?”

“You’re hair,” Leo whined, fingers curling tighter in his hair and nails scraping onto his scalp.

“ _Oh_ ,” Ravi almost moaned, the idea of Leo pulling him around by his hair sending bolts down his spine. He pulled his fingers out, suddenly too impatient to wait any longer, and crawled atop Leo, straddling his hips. Leo’s hands found Ravi’s thighs as he reached back to position Leo. Pressing his hips down onto Leo, something akin to a whine tumbled past his lips from the stretch and sensation of being filled. It’d been a while–years–since he’d done this.

“ _God_ ,” Leo moaned, fingers digging into Ravi’s thighs as he angled his hips so he was  pressed in as far as he could go. The curse made Ravi laugh, finding it ironic coming from a monk. The laugh made everything ever so slightly more relaxed–relaxed enough to move. He set the pace at slow, Leo meeting him halfway with every thrust. Ravi leaned back slightly, adjusting the angle that their hips met at until every stroke hit the sensitive spot inside him and he couldn’t stop his moans. Leo’s hands roamed freely, teasing his dick, tracing his abs, playing with his nipples, pulling deeper moans from Ravi’s throat.

Leo yanked Ravi down into a kiss, hand closing around Ravi’s cock. The new position brought a new pace, faster but every bit as maddening, driving him closer–so close. Leo nipped his lip, tightening his grip around Ravi’s cock, then swallowed Ravi’s moan with an open kiss. Ravi broke away with a curse, cumming seconds later into Leo’s hand and Leo following him shortly after. Leo pressed tender kisses into Ravi’s neck as he came down, languidly stroking Ravi until he whimpered. When their lips met again, the kiss was slow, lazy.

“Definitely can’t go back now,” Ravi murmured, breaking the kiss and shifting so Leo slid out. “But I’m happy.” Leo hummed, lifting a hand to Ravi’s cheek and stroking it with his thumb. They fell into silence, staring into each other’s eyes. Ravi was still struggling to believe that this was real, but it was slowly sinking in.

“What made you decide to speak up now?” Ravi asked, something coming to mind. “You said it was love at first sight, so that means you’ve waited four years to say anything.” The light in Leo’s eyes darkened a bit, his brows setting in a slightly pensive look.

“Something bad is going to happen soon,” Leo answered. “It feels like there’ll be a major confrontation soon, and I didn’t want to go into it with loose ends.”

“Do we tell the others when we regroup?” Ravi asked, stiffening slightly at the premonition.

“Only if they ask,” Leo murmured in reply, shifting beneath Ravi to get more comfortable. “I don’t want to worry them.”

“Hongbin probably feels something too,” Ravi frowned.

“Perhaps,” Leo answered shortly, getting lost in his thoughts. Ravi sighed, pushing himself up so he was seated on Leo’s stomach. The movement caused Leo’s semen to start leaking out.

“I think I need another bath,” Ravi mumbled, suddenly feeling quite dirty. Leo hummed in agreement, hand trailing down Ravi’s chest. “Do you wanna go down together?” Leo hummed again, a smirk pulling on his lips and easing the mood slightly.

-.-.-.-.-

“Ready?” Ravi asked Leo as he secured the last of his gear in place. Leo hummed, picking up their sack of supplies and swinging it over his shoulder. They headed down stairs and left the room key with the innkeeper, Leo squeezing Ravi’s shoulder possessively when Ravi gave the innkeeper a sheepish smile. They stopped at a bakery for breakfast, the bread not yet cooled from the ovens, then headed west out of the town into the fields.

In the early morning, a few of the fallen soldiers still lingered in the waist high grasses, crawling in the shade, the sunlight streaming through the grey clouds in the sky not enough to put them to rest. The path was poorly beaten and frequently veered in directions they wanted to avoid going for lack of time, so they often left it to plow through the grasses. Leo blessed his woldo and Ravi’s sword and they dispatched the few fallen that dared to attack, finding the armored skeletons every bit as annoying as Hongbin had warned. Leo insisted on pausing after each victory to say a spell to release their soul from the Dark Lord’s torment, which Ravi couldn’t disagree with because it gave him a chance to hear more of Leo’s Language of Light.

It had taken them longer than Leo had anticipated to wade through the grasses because of the fallen, but by mid-morning the sun had come out and they had reached the main road through the fields–the road they had intended on using when they exited the tunnel had they not been attacked. Once on the main road, they were able to relax and take a break. Leo stole some of Ravi’s bread, maintaining a straight face as he flopped down at the edge of the path to start eating. When Ravi stole some back, Leo attacked and they play fought over the bread. Leo ended the fight with a kiss, walking off victorious with the contested bread as Ravi fought down his blush at getting caught off guard.

After eating, they resumed their journey, maintaining light conversation about the terrain and the occasional animal that darted across the path. They reached Rockensgrove when the sun was high in the sky. It was a medium sized town at the edge of a forest, not much larger than the town they had stayed in the previous night. It was Hongbin’s hometown and the home of the Beilum Knights, a sect of well respected paladins. The walls were high and guards stood at the front gate, dressed in white and gold uniforms similar to the one Hongbin wore under his armor.

Leo produced the moonsilver medallion that signaled his membership with the Badrasa Monks at the gate, and after a short explanation of the previous day’s events, they were let into the town. A guard inside led them through the town to Sir Hyoshin’s home, asking them a few questions about their journey from Woodsedge at Tienbing Pass and how the people were doing in that town. Ravi answered the guard’s questions to the best of his ability, Leo seemingly drowning out the conversation as he looked around with sharp eyes to get a feel for the town. There was an undeniable warmth and peace to the town, most likely due to the wards, that was drawing Leo’s attention.

Sir Hyoshin’s home was smaller than Ravi had anticipated, but it was obvious from it’s construction that the man was from a well off noble family. The guard asked them to wait outside as he entered the house to announce their arrival. As they waited at the door, Leo leaned in close to door frame, studying the magical script carved into the wood with curious eyes.

“ _Boolluh, Weieelthuh d’ok Rooruhlthuh d’okwee agyeek’win, Chei wuh p’ehmfitai il zee goolyoon…”_ Leo read aloud, running his fingers over the script, accent thick from how unfamiliar the words were on his tongue.

“Here, Light and Dark meet, but my enemies cannot enter,” Ravi translated for Leo, leaning over his shoulder to look at the inscription himself. The letters were beautifully carved, stylized quite differently from the wards in his home country, but the language itself was familiar. Leo jerked slightly, turning his head to look at Ravi. Ravi looked at Leo from the corner of his eye, flushing slightly when he realized that their faces were only a few centimeters apart and Leo’s cheeks were also tinted slightly pink. Ravi cleared his throat and stepped back. “It’s _Chek’ee K’oom_ ,” Ravi explained, the common language. “The same language I study. It’s a good ward.”

“It’s strong,” Leo noted.

“One of the strongest wards a home can have in _Chek’ee K’oom_ , but it’s only as strong as the castor,” Ravi murmured. He reached out and traced the inscription further up the frame, the letters changing form and the words turning unfamiliar. “I wonder if the Language of Light’s ward is similar in meaning,” Ravi mused, jumping when the door suddenly opened.

“It is, almost identical,” a smooth, baritone voice answered Ravi’s question. The pair stepped away from the door frame, the flush in their cheeks burning anew as they looked up at the man just inside the door. He was young–older than both Leo and Ravi, but younger than they’d expected. “You’re a magic practitioner?” Ravi swallowed, pointing up to himself dumbly. When the man nodded, Ravi fumbled for words.

“S-somewhat–A red knight. I’m not very good,” Ravi answered.

“But you’re quite knowledgeable,” the man complimented. “We use both the Common Language and the Language of the Light of Truth here.” Ravi cleared his throat nervously, drawing the man’s eyes to him and pulling a smile from his lips that rivaled Hongbin’s in brightness. “Ah, how rude of me. I’m Park Hyoshin of the Beilum Knights. I’m in charge of overseeing the new knights. I understand you’re Hongbin’s friends?”

“I’m Ravi,” Ravi stumbled out awkwardly, not sure how to deal with the situation. He motioned beside him. “And this is Leo. The medallion–”

“No need for proof, I can tell just by looking at you that it’s the truth,” Sir Hyoshin interrupted, holding his hand out to stop Leo. “I was actually expecting you. I’m glad you arrived safely. The two that came last night weren’t quite as lucky.” Ravi glanced at Leo with wide eyes, before turning back to Sir Hyoshin, stomach sinking.

“Two made it in last night?” Ravi asked, worry tinting his tone.

“You’re friends Ken and Hyuk. Just as night fell, they stumbled up to the gates and begged to be let in, claiming they were friends of Hongbin’s,” Sir Hyoshin answered. “Come inside, I suppose you want to check on them.” He stepped away from the door and motioned for them to come inside. Ravi shuffled inside, heart racing and Leo’s hand brushing his reassuringly.

“Are they ok?” Ravi asked, fighting down the nervous quiver in his voice. Perhaps _this_ was the ominous omen Leo felt. Those two getting paired off was _terrible_ luck–both were ranged fighters that didn’t know any healing spells, and Ken was almost useless at wielding any element other than fire. Sir Hyoshin nodded closing the door. He turned, motioning for them to follow. Several knights bustled around sorting through documents and scouring over maps, including the guard that had brought them, but they paid Ravi and Leo no mind.

“Ken was fine, though exhausted, but Hyuk was nearly unconscious from the wounds he’d sustained,” Sir Hyoshin as he lead them to the stairs and started climbing. “He’ll survive, but he needs to stay in bed for a few days. He lost a lot of blood and managed to get affected by the beast’s poison saliva. Healers can only do so much. His wounds are closed though not completely healed and the poison cured, but he’ll need to recover his strength and stamina on his own.” Sir Hyoshin stopped at a door just at the top of the stairs, knocking once before opening it. “More of your party has made it in.” He stepped aside, allowing Ravi and Leo to enter the room.

Ken was seated in a chair beside the large bed, but rose to his feet when he saw his friends enter the room. He stared for a moment as if he were making sure they were really there then lunged across the room, pulling both Ravi and Leo into a tight hug. Leo bulked, resisting for a moment before before giving in, joining Ravi in appeasing the mage.

“You’re _alive_ ,” Ken cried in relief. “After what happened with Hyuk, I was afraid–”

“We can take care of ourselves,” Leo interrupted him with a sigh, pulling him closer and away from Ravi.

“The beast didn’t stand a chance against Leo’s woldo,” Ravi assured, patting Ken on the back.

“I know–I shouldn’t worry but after what that beast did to Hyukkie…” Ken trailed off, pulling back. He looked Leo and Ravi over carefully, tongue darting across his lips. “No injuries?”

“None,” Ravi reassured, clapping him on the shoulder. Leo slipped past Ken, headed to Hyuk’s side. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah,” Ken said, reaching up to rub his arm. “I just had cuts and bruises, but they’re all healed now. Hyuk though…” Ken looked back over his shoulder as the soft sounds of Leo chanting filled the air. Ravi swallowed, preparing himself before he slipped past Ken to where Leo had kneeled down next to Hyuk. He grimaced upon seeing Hyuk. The boy was sleeping, but he had bandages around his shoulder and all the way down his arm. If he’d been mauled like Ravi suspected, then there was no way the wounds wouldn’t scar or affect his aim. Ravi clenched his fists, feeling anger well up. Hyuk, of all people, did not deserve such injuries. He was still new to fighting compared to the others, still naive to a lot of things in the world.

“He’ll have good dreams,” Leo murmured, standing up. He brought a reassuring hand up to the small of Ravi’s back. “He’ll recover. His spirit is still strong.”

“What happened?” Ravi asked, swallowing.

“We were running. I tried lobbing a fireball at the beast, but it had no effect. By the time Hyuk had gotten in a position to shoot an arrow off, the thing had already latched onto his shoulder. He managed to fire and kill it, but by then, the damage was done…” Ken recounted, coming to the bedside. He squeezed his eyes shut and struck his thigh with his fist. “If only I didn’t suck at ice magic,” he hissed. “I’m so useless.”

“You’re not useless,” Leo snapped, causing Ravi and Ken both to snap their gazes to him. “It was bad luck.” Ken smiled sheepishly, rubbing his arm. It was quite obvious that he didn’t believe Leo’s words.

“Hyuk’s fine now. You got him to safety,” Ravi pressed. “That’s the important thing.”

“Right.” Ken nodded, squeezing his eyes shut.

-.-.-.-.-

In order to let Hyuk rest, Sir Hyoshin offered Ravi, Ken and Leo lodging in the barracks with the other newly instated paladins. The lodging wasn’t ideal because it provided even less privacy than they were used to, but each of them could have a separate bed for once. Ravi lamented that particular aspect because he’d wanted an excuse to hold Leo while sleeping like he’d done the previous night. He’d quite enjoyed the feel of Leo’s head pillowed against his shoulder and their arms around each other. A bed crammed with people was a perfect excuse to increase physical contact.

Unfortunately, he had his own bed and no good excuse to touch Leo longer than the fleeting brushes Leo’d been giving him since they’d arrived. To say that Ravi was craving Leo’s touch was an understatement. The confession and consummation of their feelings had left him wanting to reaffirm the events. He wanted to prove to himself that it hadn’t been some illusion, that what happened last night was real, that Hyuk was really lying on a bed wounded, that they’d really been split up in the tunnels.

They’d been left to their own devices after being fed, and Ken had gone to sit by Hyuk’s side, still guilty feeling. Leo had insisted on going out and exploring the town–he’d wanted to see where Hongbin had grown. Hongbin, as the other warrior touted at the “Chosen One”, was another man that had great responsibilities thrust upon him at a young age, but the way they’d grown up had been very different. Hongbin and Leo had used comparing their childhood training as a way to grow closer to each other, so it was no surprise to Ravi that Leo wanted to explore the town. Driven by his urge to spend as much time with Leo as possible, Ravi tagged along with him.

Leo looked around the town with wide, attentive eyes. He didn’t speak much, save to stumble through the wards engraved on the various buildings. Leo took special interest in the church and the decorative wards that spanned the entire building. He leaned in close, tracing the letters and following the wards around the building, pausing halfway around the church to stare up at the intricate stained glass windows.

“Beautiful, just like Hongbin described,” Leo murmured, fingers brushing the wall and neck craned back.

“Yeah,” Ravi agreed, having followed Leo a bit further away from the building so he could take in the full sight of the warding murals as well as Leo’s childlike awe.

“I can feel the craftsmen’s energy. It took dozens,” Leo observed. He placed his hand more flat against the mural and closed his eyes. Ravi could just barely make out a flicker in Leo’s aura before he opened his eyes again. “I wish I understood.”

“Me too,” Ravi agreed, stepping in close behind Leo and laying his hand over Leo’s. “I can kind of read it, the letters are similar, but I don’t understand.” Leo hummed, but otherwise remained quiet, eyes scouring the building. Leo only knew his Language of Light, but had put considerable effort towards learning the script of the Common Language after meeting Ravi. For what purpose, Ravi didn’t know, but he found the effort endearing. “I’d still like to learn your language, too,” Ravi murmured, shifting closer to Leo and pressing their bodies together.

“After you master your other magic,” Leo insisted, leaning back onto Ravi.

“I can’t wait for your strict tutelage,” Ravi purred. Leo twitched but didn’t say anything. Ravi brought his free hand to Leo’s hip and pressed a gentle kiss to Leo’s shoulder. “I love you,” he breathed, settling comfortably against Leo. Leo tensed, suddenly pulling away. Confused, Ravi went after him, grabbing Leo’s wrist before he could get more than a few steps away. “What–” His voice died in his throat when Leo turned to look at him, cheeks flushed red and stare piercing and raw. Next thing Ravi knew, he was pressed against the church wall and Leo was coaxing his mouth open.

“Love,” Leo breathed, closing the syllable in a kiss. Ravi softened into the kiss, closing his eyes. “You,” Leo finished, pulling back. He settled against Ravi with a hug, forehead pressed to the wall behind Ravi. _This_ was the contact that Ravi had so craved, the affirmation that it was all real and that he was very much grounded in the moment. Neither of them dared to move, contented to stay just like that. It wasn’t until chanting came from the church that Leo dared to move, but Ravi squeezed him tight against his body, concentrating, focusing his feelings.

“ _Thap’ah heherlai d’okwee fwei ch’aimyoo_ ,” Ravi breathed, the charm more a prayer than anything. “ _Thap’ah heherlai._ ” Leo gripped him tighter, hands fisting in Ravi’s shirt.

“What did you say?” Leo asked hesitantly.

“A love charm,” Ravi admitted, feeling himself go red at how embarrassing his words were. Leo gripped his shirt tighter. “That we’d be together always…”

“Always…” Leo murmured. “I hope so.”

-.-.-.-.-

“I’m not very worried about N and Hongbin getting killed,” Ravi admitted, sitting back in his chair. “N is the strongest fighter in our group and Hongbin is the hardest hitter,” Ravi explained further when Sir Hyoshin raised an eyebrow at his statement. “But I am worried that they’ve been injured beyond what Hongbin could heal or were pushed back in the direction that we came from.” Leo hummed in agreement, looking away from Ravi to Sir Hyoshin.

When Hongbin and N still hadn’t turned up by mid-morning the day after Leo and Ravi arrived, everyone started to get anxious. The longer it took for them to get to Rockensgrove, the more likely something had gone terribly wrong in the tunnels. When Sir Hyoshin came back from the early morning patrol around the town’s perimeter, he called Ravi, Leo and Ken to the barracks’ commons.

“They’re a good combination,” Leo assured.

“Hyuk and I were fortunate that we were shoved down the correct tunnel, even if we were unfortunate enough to to wind up together,” Ken sighed.

“If they don’t make it in tonight, it’s likely they were pushed back to the other side of the Harpy Forrest,” Sir Hyoshin stated. He shifted his weight, concern worrying his brow. “I’ll notify the guards to keep a watch out, especially as it nears dusk. I pray that they are in a position to reach shelter by night fall. For the last two weeks, the Fallen have been unusually rowdy. They’re rising as soon as the sun starts to set, and not resting until the sun has lit the sky well. I fear it’ll be trouble for even Hongbin. The Fallen are best fought in large groups.”

“Hongbin has grown much stronger since he joined us,” Leo reassured.

“Has he? I look forward to seeing the warrior he’s become,” Sir Hyoshin said, a smile breaking his concerned expression.

“Traveling here, we encountered Fallen in the grass. Leo was able to bless my sword and it made dealing with them much easier,” Ravi added. “I’m sure that Hongbin can do the same for N’s scimitar and boots. N’s speed is unparalleled. I have no doubt that together they can make it to shelter if they get caught before dark.”

“Yes, there is that option, but it’s a rather advanced technique. Hongbin has mastered it?” Sir Hyoshin asked. Ravi looked over to Leo, unsure. Leo shifted, not liking suddenly being put on the spot.

“I taught him,” Leo offered. “Our Languages of Light aren’t mutually intelligible, but he was able to adapt the blessing.”

“That is impressive,” Sir Hyoshin complimented, causing Leo to flush slightly. “For as long as the Beilum Knights have been established, I don’t think we’ve exchanged many techniques with other languages. You’re the Badrasa Monks’ Chosen One, right? Has Hongbin taught you anything?” Leo shook his head.

“Just a little bit of reading,” Leo replied.

“If you can read, you can learn. Would you be interested in an exchange of techniques?” Sir Hyoshin offered.

“I will teach you the _Badrasa Kasokorm_ class of protection wards if you teach me the offensive _Beilum Pathrotuhm,_ ” Leo bargained.

“The _Badrasa Kasokorm_ battle wards are legendary across the continent. I would be honored to learn,” Sir Hyoshin accepted.

-.-.-.-.-

The fact that Leo had managed to get Sir Hyoshin to agree to exchange techniques had left Ravi mildly jealous. He’d wanted to learn both, but both Leo and Sir Hyoshin had denied him and Ken access to the training hall while doing the exchange. Yet, Ravi could hardly blame Leo for taking the chance to learn. Out of everyone, Leo would benefit the most out of the exchange of techniques. The Badrasa Monks’ Language was mostly defensive in nature, with only the most difficult and high level spells being offensive. Ravi rarely saw Leo use his magic for more than blessings and warding. Paladins, on the other hand, specialized in offensive and healing magic. In the final battle against the Dark Lord, Hongbin and Leo would be perfect compliments.

Ravi pouted when Leo went off with Sir Hyoshin, but had managed to steal a kiss before they parted ways, somewhat dulling his jealousy. Once alone, Ravi decided to visit Hyuk with Ken. As they made their way out of the barracks, the young paladins wandering in from their early morning shift greeted them with respect. They returned the greetings, the formalities reminding Ravi of his time as a squire. How different would he be if he’d been able to complete his training and been properly knighted? It was something Ravi pondered from time to time. He no doubt would have been a fighter on par with Leo and Hongbin had he, but lamenting on that would do him no good.

“Everyone here is ridiculously good looking,” Ken muttered as they left the barracks ground. Ravi looked over at Ken with a raised eyebrow. “I thought maybe Hongbin was beautiful because he was the chosen one, but everyone here is almost as good looking and it’s not fair.”

“What, you wish you were born he–” Ravi started to tease but was cut off as a guard came running up to them.

“You’re Ravi and Ken, correct?” the guard panted, coming to a stop beside them. They turned to face him more fully, puzzled that they were being stopped.

“Yeah, that’s us,” Ken answered, stepping around Ravi to see the guard better.

“Sir Hyoshin wanted me to tell you about a sword–” the guard started. “–When he got to the training hall, he remembered. The tomb of the warrior that defeated the Dark Lord’s General a thousand years ago lies in the cave in the hills three kilometers southwest of town. Inside is the sword he used to defeat the Dark General. It’s not a holy sword, so it won’t do any of the knights in town much good, but Sir Hyoshin thinks that Ravi might find it useful.”

“Me?” Ravi asked, surprised by the offer.

“Yes. He’s given you permission to take the sword, since you’ll be accompanying the Chosen Ones on their journey. You need every bit of strength you can get,” the guard insisted.

“Are you sure? Isn’t a sword like that some kind of precious treasure?” Ken asked.

“It’s better in your hands,” guard pressed. “Please, take it.” Ravi turned to Ken, still a little unsure.

“It’s a thousand years old, it’s probably rusted,” Ravi whispered. Ken scoffed.

“We might as well check it out. If it’s in actual good condition, then you could use it. Your current sword is starting to chip anyway,” Ken argued, voice equally as hushed.

“I can just buy a new one anywhere,” Ravi retaliated.

“Yeah, but this is probably some magic sword. It helped beat the Dark General, afterall. You _can’t_ beat _free_ magic weapons,” Ken insisted. Ravi sighed, turning back to the guard.

“Ok. I’ll go check out the sword,” Ravi relented. The guard smiled in relief.

“It will thrive in your hands, I’m sure,” the guard praised.

“No, a blade’s power is all in the craftsmanship. It’s your people who made it shine. It’ll be an honor to use the blade,” Ravi thanked, bowing slightly.

“You can get to the cave by taking the south gate and following it to the mountains. You’ll see the path fork, take a left and you’ll soon end up at the cave,” the guard instructed. Ravi and Ken thanked the guard again before parting ways.

“This is awesome, you know? Can you imagine how strong you’ll be with a legendary magic sword?” Ken started rambling excitedly.

“We have to make sure it isn’t rusted over first,” Ravi reminded Ken, though his words seemed to fall on deaf ears.

“You’ll be so strong, I bet you’ll rival Leo,” Ken continued. Ravi sighed, shaking his head. He highly doubted a sword would make _that_ much of a difference in his power.

-.-.-.-.-

After paying Hyuk a short visit, Ravi and Ken set off for the cave. The walk was short, and the cave was clear. Protective wards covered the entrance and walls of the cave, but neither Ravi nor Ken could make them out. The path inside the cave was straight forward, but it took twenty minutes to reach the tomb’s doors. The doors were decorated in a warding mural, the script wrapping around the carved figure of an angel with a sword.

“I guess we find out whether the sword is rusted or not now,” Ken mused as they steppe up to the doors.

“Yeah,” Ravi replied distractedly, taking in the details of the warding mural. It was an impressive piece of art. He reached forward to press the doors open and they glowed white at his touch before giving way and allowing him to easily push them open. Ravi swallowed as the sealed air hissed past the doors. He stepped forward cautiously, Ken’s steps echoing behind him. The narrow path leading to the doors opened into a large room, warding painted in large script on the walls.

“This place is creepy,” Ken complained looking around. Ravi almost answered with a snide remark, but his eyes connected with the stone statue in the middle of the room and he forgot what he was going to say. It was large, easily half a meter taller than him, and carved to look like the angel on the door. Clutched in it’s hands was a perfectly pristine sword, engraved with magical script. Ravi swallowed.

“It’s not rusted,” he murmured, too shocked to muster anything more. He stepped forward, wards carved into the floor lighting up with step closer that he took. When Ravi reached the statue, he reached up and tugged at the sword. He was able to pull it from the statue’s hands with minimal effort. Blade in hand, he stepped back, testing its weight in his hand.

“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Ken grumbled. “I was at least expecting such an important sword to put up some resistance. You think it’s the real one?” Ravi gave the sword a few swings before straightening and turning to Ken.

“Yeah, there’s no doubt,” Ravi answered, lifting it up and inspecting the sword more closely. The blade shined in the light of the light of the warding, it’s edge sharper than any other Ravi had seen before. The magical script on the blade was one that Ravi had never seen before, rough and angular, no doubt a language that died because of the Dark General’s efforts.

“If you’re sure, then we should get back. This place is creepy,” Ken insisted, reaching out and grabbing Ravi’s arm.

“Right,” Ravi agreed, looking up. He stepped towards the door and they suddenly snapped closed, glowing an angry deep purple.

“And where do you think you’re going with my sword?” a high pitched voice boomed, sending shivers down Ravi’s spine. He turned slowly, heart almost pounding out of his chest. Ken fell away and stumbled back, wand drawn and clutched in both hands defensively–

“D-d-d-d-d–” Ken stuttered as he scrambled further away.

The angel statue hadn’t been an angel, Ravi realized with horror when his eyes connected with where it was supposed to be. It was no longer stone, breathing and organic, wings spread broad, soft feathers as black as an abyss. It stepped forward, a wicked smile spreading across its lips as it lifted a hand to point at Ravi. Ravi reeled back with a curse, getting into a defensive position. This was not the tomb of the hero that defeated the Dark General–it was the Dark General’s _prison–_ it’d all been a trap.

“You break all the seals and then think that you can _steal_ my sword? How amusing,” it laughed. Shadows tendrilled from it’s hand, forming into a black blade. It swung down, bringing the newly formed sword to its side. “This meal will be delicious.”

The Dark General charged, its movements almost too fast for Ravi to see. He just barely made out Ken launching a fireball at it before its blade clanged against Ravi’s. He slid back, struggling to keep his footing and balance under the force the Dark General was using. Ken launched another, stronger fireball, but it seemed to do nothing to the General and only served to make Ravi’s eyes burn. He gave up parrying, and ducked, dodging out of the way as the General slashed again. Its shadow blade came within a centimeter of Ravi’s shirt.

Ravi broke out into a run as Ken hurled the strongest fire spell he knew at the Dark General. When the fireball hit, the General stumbled, hissing, guard lowering enough that Ravi thought he had a chance of injuring it enough to get enough time to reopen the doors. Ravi charged, blade managing to pierce the Dark General’s unguarded side. It howled and tried to flinch away as Ravi pressed the blade deeper, but its noises of pain broke off into laughter as soon as Ravi’s blade broke through the other side of its body. It grabbed the blade and shoved Ravi back, removing the sword from it’s body. Ravi stumbled back, eyes wide in horror as the Dark General waved it’s free hand in front of the wounds and they closed completely.

“My own sword cannot harm me,” it taunted. “Now you die.” The Dark General charged and Ravi lifted his blade in a defensive stance, squeezing his eyes shut. He couldn’t believe they’d fallen for such a trap, that things would end this way, that he’d die before final battle in such a pathetic way, that he couldn’t make it to the end with Leo. He braced himself, pooling all his concentration into a strength spell–

“Enough playing,” Ken called out, words followed almost immediately by a piercing scream from the Dark General. Ravi snapped his eyes open. The General had fallen to the ground and was writhing, purple lighting sparking around its body. “Watching you is boring. Always the same games.” Ravi’s gaze snapped up to Ken as he spoke. Everything about Ken’s demeanor was off–his voice was deeper, more serious, and he was standing taller than normal, oozing arrogance. “ _Laiheryeh,”_ Ken commanded and the Dark General screamed again, disintegrating into ash.

“What the _hell_ did you just do?” Ravi squeaked, stumbling back terrified. Ken looked up at him, eyebrows raised as if the question surprised him.

“Oops. Looks like my secret’s revealed,” Ken said, laughter tinting his words. “I’m not just some fire mage.”

“That was _Rooruhlthuh wuh K’oom_ , dark magic–the only ones who can do that are creatures of the Dark Lord–” Ken erupted in laughter, cutting off Ravi’s panicked ramble.

“Creature of the Dark Lord?” Ken laughed, gripping his stomach and bending forward. His laughter stopped as suddenly as it started and he looked Ravi in the eye, a maniacal grin spread on his lips. “I am _Ruhl P’waer Jei Hwan_ , **_the_** Dark Lord.”

“You’re lying!” Ravi yelled, shuffling back, panicking even more than he’d been when faced with death moments earlier. He sunk more into his defensive position, grip so tight on his blade that his knuckles were turning white.

“Oh, Ravi,” Ken scolded, voice sinking deeper again. “My dear friend Ravi, I wouldn’t lie to you–at least not any more than I already have.” He straightened up and stepped towards Ravi. Ravi took another step back, his whole body beginning to tremble in fear as Ken’s aura started to glow an ugly purple. “You’ve been searching for the Dark Lord all this time, and I’ve been _right by your side_.”

“I-if you’re the Dark Lord, then why did you kill your own general?” Ravi stuttered, still refusing to believe any of this.

“Because it’s more satisfying to finish you off myself, oh savior,” Ken answered, eyes twinkling as he stepped forward and kicked the Dark General’s ashes into the air. Ravi tensed up, Ken’s words sinking in.

“I-I’m n-not the Ch-chosen one–” Ravi denied.

“But you _are_ ,” Ken insisted, tone highly amused.

“Leo and Hongbin–”

“All a ruse for my amusement,” Ken cut him off. “ _I_ was the warrior that sealed away the Dark General a thousand years ago. _I_ founded the Badrasa Monks _and_ the Beilum Knights. But you–you were chosen by _Weieel P’waer Roh Viks_ to challenge me.”

“You’re _lying!_ ” Ravi screamed, voice cracking. It couldn’t be true, everything he’d ever known and been taught _couldn’t_ be false.

“You survived my first attempt to kill you, but I must admit that it’s much more satisfying to kill you myself,” Ken continued, completely ignoring Ravi’s outburst.

“I won’t let you kill me!” Ravi yelled, forcing himself to hold his ground as Ken advanced on him further.

“As you are now, you can’t even hurt a hair on my head,” Ken taunted. “In ten years, maybe, but…”

“I’ll go down fighting,” Ravi warned, shifting into an offensive stance. Ken snorted and Ravi charged. The clang of metal filled the air as Ravi’s blade met a shadow blade Ravi hadn’t even seen Ken conjur.

“No, you won’t,” Ken said, voice turning deadly serious. “You will go in submission.” He flung Ravi to the ground effortlessly, aura flaring. “ _Chei wuh waleshai er kluhbityoh,”_ he ordered, casting a simple body control spell in the common language, as if to prove that he didn’t need to rely on dark magic to defeat Ravi.

“ _Fuck. No_ ,” Ravi hissed in reply to the spell. Ken smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Stand up,” Ken ordered. He resisted with all his might, but Ravi’s body started moving on its own. When he came to standing, Ken drew a circle with his finger in the air, forcing Ravi to flip his grip on his sword. “Both hands now.” Ravi’s other hand gripped the hilt of the sword, despite his attempted resistance.

“The others will defeat you–they’re stronger together–they’ll defeat you–” Ravi insisted. When Leo and the paladins found them, surely–

“No, they won’t. Your little boyfriend and the rest of our pathetic group don’t stand a chance and never will,” Ken interrupted. Ravi’s eyes widened. He knew. Ken _knew_. “It was fun watching you and Leo fall hopelessly in love, but that won’t defeat me. Though, it’ll be even more fun to watch your death break him before I kill _him_.”

“Don’t–” Ravi started to yell, but Ken stepped forward and placed a finger across Ravi’s lips, silencing him.

“How about I give you a chance to avenge his death? Another chance to defeat me? That’ll be even _more_ amusing.” Ravi tried to growl a response but his tongue wouldn’t move. “I’ll enchant my general’s sword.” Ken trailed his finger down Ravi’s chin and neck, then jumped to the hilt of the sword. Aura flaring, he began to caste, “ _Verken noo chelyehpo, nyeg etsheez p’alsaiyeh._ ”

Ravi’s eyes widened, panic welling in his chest and tears in his eyes as his fate sunk in. He started to mentally resist with every ounce of his focus and energy as Ken stepped away from him and his arms started to raise into the air of their own accord. Ken licked his lips, anticipation clear in his eyes as he stared Ravi down. Ken gave a small nod and Ravi swiftly stabbed just below his heart, pressing the sword through to the hilt as he collapsed to his knees and started to turn to stone. The last thought that passed through his mind was how he couldn’t even warn Leo, couldn’t save him, couldn’t fulfill the charm.

-.-.-.-.-

“ _Fuck_ ,” Sir Hyoshin cursed as the paladins and Leo neared the gates to the Dark General’s prison. “The seal is broken!” Leo pushed ahead, drawing his weapon as he ran to the front of the group and through the doors. He came to a skidding stop when he saw the contents of the room. Ken was lying on the ground in a pool of blood, skin and clothes charred in places, and deep slashes across his stomach and chest. Then in the center of the room a stone statue with shoulders so familiar–Leo rushed forward begging internally for it to not be what he thought it was. He rounded to the front of the statue, falling to his knees when he saw it’s face.

A high pitched keen passed Leo’s lips, drowning out the sounds of the paladins filling the room and attending to Ken. His world tunneled, the only thing he could see the stone Ravi in front of him. He reached out, hands trembling and tears welling in his eyes. Cupping Ravi’s cheeks in his hands, Leo closed his eyes, concentrating, searching for the nature of the magic and only finding dark origins, the spell too strong to overpower as he was. Leo opened his eyes, tears breaking free. Ravi was gone. He couldn’t help him–

“Ravi–” Ken groaned, drawing Leo’s attention.

“Ken, what happened?” Sir Hyoshin asked, propping Ken up as a healer worked on his wounds. “You need to tell us what happened.”

“We were,” Ken swallowed, face pained, “trying to get the sword of the warrior that,” another swallow, “defeated the Dark General, but it was a trap–” Ken broke off as the healer worked on his deepest wound. “When Ravi took the sword the statue came to life. It caused him to go berserk then fled. I tried to stop Ravi but the sword made him too powerful–It was like he became a different person–”

Leo stopped listening, turning back to Ravi, eyes tracing the pained expression on his face. A full sob broke past Leo’s lips, his chest feeling like it was ripping apart. To stay together always, to fight the Dark Lord together, to live together when it was all done–They had just barely started, but they were already ripped apart. Leo hadn’t been ready for this, hadn’t expected the major encounter he’d felt in a premonition to be like this. He shook with his sobs. Ravi– Leo gripped the hilt of the sword and tried to pull it out, but it wouldn’t budge.

“You need to let go,” Sir Hyoshin ordered, coming around to Leo and putting a hand on Leo’s shoulder. Leo shook his head, trying desperately to pulled the sword out of Ravi’s stone hands.

“Ravi–” Leo choked out.

“That _won’t_ help,” Sir Hyoshin insisted, starting to tug Leo away from Ravi. “I know it’s painful to lose a close comrade, but pulling the sword won’t help.” Leo resisted, attempting to shrug Sir Hyoshin off. “It’s dangerous. The Dark General is free. We need to regroup and strategize.” Leo put up more of a fight but Sir Hyoshin only called more men over. They forcefully pried Leo off, ignoring his screams and sobs, and dragged him away, following close behind the stretcher that carried Ken.

Ken lifted his hands to cover his face, tears starting to roll down his face. His laughter was disguised as sobbing, an easy deception to make. He had ten _thousand_ years to wait for Ravi to wake up and challenge him again. Hopefully things wouldn’t get too boring while he waited.


End file.
